Category: Beauty

When it comes to doing my hair every morning, the word that comes to mind is…simple. I’ve been growing my hair out for a little over a half a year now, and between its length, getting used to my bangs again, and my lack of sophisticated hair styling skills, my go-to do’s are usually very low key. And let’s be real, I’m around 6th graders all day, and they could care less what I look like anyhow.

That being said, I do want to look professional and stylish (read: look like I’m ‘adulting’) while I’m at work, going out with friends, or having a date night with T. Here are my go-to styles for when I want to look put together, without investing too much time getting ready.

1) Low, messy pony: Okay, I know I’m hardly break new ground here, but this hairstyle is one of my favorites for days when I know I’ll be running around. I don’t like how my hair looks tied back in a ponytail if it’s in its natural state, so I usually whisk my straightener over the top layer of my hair before tying it back for a smoother effect.

{front; cheesin}

2) Sleek half-up half-down: I’m not entirely crazy with how my hair looks completely down after straightening it, so I usually tie half of it back to add a little volume. This do takes about 10 minutes to throw together, which is ideal on mornings when I’m running a tad late!

3) Top Knot: This is by far one of my favorite hairstyles. I have some layers in my hair right now that make it difficult to wrestle it into a bun, so this look works best on me when I’m between shampoos and my hair has a bit of product in it.

{front}{side}

4) Curly with pinned back pieces: This do requires more of a time investment, but it does the trick on days when I want to look a little more polished. To style, I wrap small sections of my hair around the barrel of a 1″ curling iron in alternating directions around my whole head. Then, I grab two same-ish sized pieces from the front of my hair, loosely twist them once, and pin them to the side of my head. The curls make this look feel a little more elevated, while pinning back the front pieces keeps my hair out of my face while I’m running around my classroom all day.

5) Curly: This look is my overall favorite, but as its the most time consuming, I usually reserve it for date nights or dressier occasions.

I have such an admiration for those women who can roll out of bed in the morning and be more or less ready to greet the day. I, unfortunately, am not one of these women, and I need a little time to ‘put my face on’ before subjecting it to other humans (ha!) No, but really. I don’t feel like myself without my warrior paint on, and I’ve come to find my morning makeup routine to be incredibly soothing. I never feel quite ready to tackle all that I need to until my makeup is done, and I am totally okay with that!

before/ crazy hair

On a day-to-day basis, my makeup routine stays more or less the same. Here’s the scoop:

1) First I apply a thin layer of BB Cream to my face as a foundation. This really smoothes out the texture and tone of my skin, without feeling too heavy.

2) Next, I dab a little bit of concealer on any areas of my face that might need a little extra coverage. Once applied, I pat the area repeatedly with my finger to blend.

3) Up next, I dab a light amount of powder on the tip of my nose and my cheeks to prevent them from looking too dewy or shiny.

4) As someone who is naturally on the paler side, I like to apply just a touch of bronzer to the apples of my cheeks to brighten up my face.

5) On to the eyes- I swipe a pale bronze shadow over the lids of my eyes to make them pop. My current favorite shade is this Neutrogena brand (the 2nd shade down in the palette.)

6) My favorite part of doing my makeup is without a doubt applying eyeliner. I feel naked if I’m not wearing it! This one goes on really smoothly, making for easy cat-eyes! One tube also lasts FOREVER- I’ve had mine for so long that the label has worn off.

7) To pull the look together, I apply a coat or two of mascara on both my top and bottom lashes.

8) Finally, I use my handy dandy Q-tips to clean up any smudges, and I’m off!

after

wings

What’s your makeup routine? Do you have any favorite tips or products? I’d love to hear.

Finding an amazing hairdresser is similar to finding the perfect apartment…a daunting and impossible task. Luckily for me, I’ve found an awesome hairdresser who is friendly, welcoming, stylish, and always makes sure I leave the salon looking and feeling like a rockstar (seriously!)

When I booked my appointment awhile back, I wasn’t totally sure what style I wanted to try. After a lot of Pinterest perusing, I settled on caramel balayage highlights and…bangs!

Needless to say…I’m obsessed with both the color and the cut. The last time I had bangs was roughly two years ago. I had grown tired of them, and was perfectly fine with their absence until a few months ago. I know it sounds cheesy, but I don’t feel like myself unless I’m rocking some fringe, and I am so glad I decided to take the plunge and chop them again.

I am beyond happy with my new do, and I have my AMAZING hairstylist to thank for it! For anyone in the Central Massachusetts area, I highly recommend that you book an appointment with Kerry at Allure Hair Design. You can find out more about her and the salon here. She is beyond worth the hour-long trek out of the city (my good friend even travels from Brooklyn, NY to get her hair done by Kerry, if you need any more reassurance). If you want to visit her for a chop, be sure to call for an appointment well in ahead of time. Kerry isn’t booked a few months in advance for nothing!

I first started becoming interested in make-up around the 8th grade. I was going through a punk rock phase (I know), and I was a huge, huge fan of wearing thick inky black eyeliner all around my eyes. Again, I know. To be fair, I was only thirteen, and most definitely got my inspiration from the thousand or so Good Charlotte posters hanging on my bedroom walls.

After twelve years of experimenting with different (thank goodness) make-up looks, I’d like to think that I’ve gotten the hang of what looks good on me and what doesn’t. I love cruising through Pinterest and other blogs for beauty inspiration, which sadly means that I always want to splurge on new products. However, being a student teacher in grad school with zero income as of this week, trips to Sephora are not going to cut it. Until graduation at least!

Thankfully, I already use some key drugstore key staples that I love as much as my wallet does.

{today’s haul}

Today, I scooped up some of my usual staples:

Maybelline’s BB Cream: I really like this cream for everyday wear. It feels light on my skin, smoothes out my skin tone, and lasts all day. I also love that I can actually afford it.

2. Maybelline concealer: I try not to use this everyday, but it really comes in handy if I have a breakout. It blends really nicely with my skin, and the coverage is overall pretty good. No complaints with this guy yet!

3. Covergirl eyeliner: I have used this eyeliner FOREVER. It’s my secret trick to the perfect cat-eye (more about that in a later post.) This liner looks fresh all day, is really easy to put on, and again, won’t break the bank.

4. Neutrogena color stick in Bright Berry: Last, but certainly not least is a newbie for me. I am obsessed with lipsticks and lip balms (which T affectionately refers to as my ‘lippy stuff’) and this one is my new favorite. Awhile back I had purchased a color stick in Sweet Watermelon that didn’t really end up suiting me. When I saw this shade today, I decided to give this stick one more try, and I’m so glad I did! The color is so good, it goes on smooth, and stays on for a good amount of time, even after eating and drinking. I sense that this will quickly become my everyday shade; it’s just enough to brighten my face, without looking too fancy.

{yerp, that’s backwards}

What are some of your favorite beauty buys? Until next time!

***Disclaimer: these products were purchased by me with my own money. All opinions are my own.